Harvey Weinstein 'reaches tentative $25m settlement with accusers'

Harvey Weinstein has reportedly reached a tentative $25 million (£19 million) settlement with dozens of women who accused him of sexual misconduct.

The disgraced movie producer and the board of his bankrupt film studio reached the accord which would end nearly all civil lawsuits by actresses and former Weinstein employees. That's according to a report on Wednesday from the New York Times, which cited lawyers involved in the negotiations.

Weinstein has been accused of sexual misconduct dating back decades by more than 70 women who accused him of offences ranging from sexual harassment to rape.

He has denied the allegations, saying any sexual encounters were consensual.

The Times reported that insurers for the former Weinstein Company studio would fund the payout meanwhile Weinstein would not be required to admit wrongdoing or to pay anything.

Accusers involved in the accord would reportedly make their claims in bankruptcy court and the $25 million payout would be part of a $47 million settlement to close out the studio's obligations.

In May, it was reported that Weinstein had reached a $44 million (£35 million) deal to settle lawsuits.

The litigation is separate from criminal charges that Weinstein faces in New York, where he is accused of sexually assaulting two women, one in 2006 and another in 2013.

Last month, a New York judge rejected Weinstein's bid to throw out the most serious charges, including one of rape and one of performing a forceable sex act.

His trial is scheduled for January 6, 2020.

On Wednesday, a state judge raised his bail after prosecutors accused him of mishandling his ankle monitor.

The 67-year-old used a walker to enter the courthouse for the hearing, and is scheduled to have back surgery on Thursday.

Through his namesake studio and his original Miramax studio, Weinstein became one of Hollywood's most powerful executives, powering a string of films to Oscar gold, including "Pulp Fiction," "Shakespeare in Love" and "The King's Speech."

The accusations that surfaced against him in October 2017 helped spark the #MeToo movement, where hundreds of women have accused powerful men in entertainment, business, media, politics and other fields of sexual misconduct.

The reported settlement drew criticism from Doug Wigdor and Kevin Mintzer, lawyers for two of Weinstein's accusers.

In a joint statement, they said the accord would pay too much to lawyers and too little to victims, and might excuse the studio's insurers and board from liability to victims who choose not to participate.

"While we don't begrudge victims who want to settle, we plan to vigorously object to any provision that tries to bind victims who want to proceed with holding Harvey Weinstein accountable for his actions," they said.

Representatives for Weinstein declined to comment.

Agencies contributed to this report